44 Somalian pirates sentenced to life for 2024 hijacking case

Special judge S B Dige accepted the guilty pleas after giving the accused time to reconsider their decision and ruled that the admissions were voluntary

MUMBAI: A Mumbai sessions court on Monday sentenced 44 Somali pirates to life imprisonment, nearly a month after they pleaded guilty to hijacking two vessels in the Gulf of Aden in 2024 and threatening the lives of crew members. The accused had been arrested in separate rescue operations carried out by the Indian Navy.

44 Somalian pirates sentenced to life for 2024 hijacking case

Special judge S B Dige accepted the guilty pleas after giving the accused time to reconsider their decision and ruled that the admissions were voluntary.

“This Court is satisfied that all accused have pleaded guilty voluntarily, unconditionally, without any coercion, misrepresentation or pressure. Hence, their plea of guilty is accepted,” the judge said.

The first case relates to the hijacking of MV Ruen, a Malta-flagged bulk carrier, in March 2024. INS Kolkata intercepted the vessel after receiving a distress alert that it had been hijacked and was being taken towards Somalia. As the situation escalated, INS Kochi and INS Subhadra joined the operation.

On March 16, 2024, Marine Commandos boarded the vessel, rescued all 18 crew members and arrested 35 pirates. During the incident, one pirate shot and injured the ship’s chief officer, who was later taken to Oman for treatment.

Police said the pirates had demanded $60 million from the vessel’s owners for the release of the crew and the ship.

The remaining nine pirates were arrested in a separate operation on March 29, 2024, after INS Trishul and INS Sumedha intercepted the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Al Kambar, from which 23 crew members were rescued.

One of the accused in the second case first pleaded guilty in June this year. On July 6, all 44 accused submitted written pleas admitting the charges.

While awarding life imprisonment, the court noted that the crew of MV Ruen had been held hostage for more than three months and that the pirates were armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and other deadly weapons.